112 COW 



Theirear tribhliadhnaicli ri aighcan la Bride. 



On St Bridget's day (2nd or 13th Feb.), heifers are called i 

 three-year-olds. ! 



The following is said of a man who makes a miraculous escape, 

 Dh' ol e bainne na bo ba a dh' ith am mothan, he drunk the milk s] 

 of the guileless cow that ate the viothan. The mothan is an herb || 

 still practically unknown to science under that name, but which 

 is said to exist and work wonders ; it is found only in a certain 

 place at a special time, both unknown. Bog violet .'* 



When a cow gets into a morass, the proverbial saying is, Is 

 e fear na bo fein theid 's an flieithe an toiseach. It is the owner 

 of the cow who will go into the morass first. 



If a cow is turned from its resting-place and a person lies 

 there, after making a circle, deas-iuil, thrice, no evil can befall him 

 or her. A saying confined, it is said, to cows, is " thug i sgianadh 

 or sgeanadh as a deigh. She took fright at her, or shied. 



As an inducement to a reluctant suitor, his mother is supposed 

 to say, "Gheibh thu 'bho bhionmhuin deth chuid Chairistiona, 

 is am focal mine deth cora (comhradh). You'll get the sleek 

 cow of the property of Christina, and the smoothest word of her 

 speech. Note, the cow comes first. 



Cows becoming restive without any apparent cause, forebode 

 terrible evil to either master or mistress. 



Apropos of the mother's saying given above, the following 

 question was put to his father by a young man about to marry, 

 and in doubts whether he should take an old or elderly woman 

 who had a tocher, or a young lass who had none. 



Comhairle iarrain oirbh an ceo 

 Co i 'm feoil is fhearr a dhuine, 

 Sean bho *s i Ian saill 

 No atharl' og am feoil thana } 



Fhreagair athair mar so 

 Cha chuir scan bho laogh mu chro ; 



Si 'n atharl' og feoil is fhearr. 



Advice I seek from thee in mist (doubt) 

 Which is the better flesh. Oh man. 

 An old cow that is full of fat. 

 Or a young quey that is thin and lean } 



To which the father replied : — 



An old cow gives no calves to thy fold ; 



The young quey is the better flesh. 



